The world media has all but ignored this week's dramatic events in Iran. The regime has worked hard to keep this story from being reported.

From jamming satellite broadcasts, to prohibiting news reporters from covering any demonstrations to shutting down all cell phones and even hiring foreign security to control the population, the regime is doing everything in its power to keep the popular movement from expressing its demand for an end of the regime.

In spite of this, as Michael Ledeen posted recently, "...we can already say that the regime's intimidation was not successful. And you have to admire the courage of these young Iranians..."

Iran is a country ready for a regime change. If you follow this thread you will witness, I believe, the transformation of a country. This daily thread provides a central place where those interested in the events in Iran can find the best news and commentary.

Please continue to join us here, post your news stories and comments to this thread.

A Montreal photojournalist of Iranian origin, who was detained in Tehran last month on suspicion of being a spy, is brain-dead and not in a coma, her son Stephan Hachemi said yesterday. The family of Zahra Kazemi, 53, had said earlier she was beaten into a coma following her arrest while taking photographs of Evin prison in the northern part of Tehran on or about June 23. Hachemi had said Kazemi spoke with her mother in Iran to inform her of the arrest. "There was a misunderstanding," he said yesterday. "She did not talk with my grandmother after her arrest; it was before the arrest. Maybe she was taken directly to the hospital after the arrest because it was so violent and brutal." "We are not sure of anything now," Hachemi said. He said the family is trying to have a foreign doctor check on her and write a medical report on her condition. "Before, (the hospital) said she was in a coma, had a brain hemorrhage and a 50-per-cent survival chance, but now they are saying she is brain-dead. "I think the best way to help my mother is to bring her to Montreal soon." Reynald Doiron, a spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Department, said two Canadian embassy officials visited Kazemi at the hospital yesterday and gave her family a briefing. "We are still waiting for the report from the Iranian Foreign Ministry," he said. "We also briefed her family on the Canadian officials' visit." Doiron said the department will reveal details of the visit only to the family. Hachemi said a Canadian official telephoned him from Tehran yesterday to inform him of the hospital report, which said Kazemi is brain-dead. The Iranian embassy in Ottawa said Iranian officials are checking into her case and will send the findings to the Canadians once the report is completed. "All that we know now is that she entered Iran as an Iranian citizen and not as a Canadian journalist," said a spokesperson for the Iranian embassy. Kazemi left Montreal for Iraq after the U.S.-led war, and was planning to report on the impact of the use of depleted-uranium weapons there. Melanie Navarro, assistant editor of Montreal's Recto Verso magazine, for which Kazemi used to write articles and take photographs, said Kazemi was waiting in Tehran for her visa to go to Turkmenistan and then to North Korea. "The last time I spoke with her was on June 23. She told me she wanted to postpone her departure until June 30 instead of the 23rd," Navarro said. "I guess she was covering the student demonstrations in Iran." Thousands of students were arrested in Iran last month after demonstrations calling for reforms in the Muslim theocracy. Kazemi had worked for Recto Verso on a freelance basis for about seven years. Her last report - which included a story and photos about political and social life in Afghanistan after a U.S.-led coalition toppled the Taliban - was published in April. Montreal's Iranian community expressed concern yesterday over Kazemi's condition and said organizations and members of the community have contacted her son to extend assistance. "We are trying to identify a medical expert and have him go to Iran with the help of the Canadian Foreign Affairs Department," said Amir Khadir, a physician and member of the Union des Forces Progressistes. "This doctor will examine her and decide the best way to help her." kjayoush@thegazette.canwest.com

"Things have improved here but there are so many things I want to do and I just can't stop thinking about them," says 20-year-old Parisa - not her real name. Born after the 1979 Islamic Revolution she is part of the baby boom generation encouraged by high rates of population growth at the time of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. Parisa has just finished doing her university entrance exams. She has a one in five chance of admission. An estimated 70% of Iran's population is under 30 years of age. Opportunities for the young are thin on the ground with unemployment as high as 28% for those under 30. "Absolutely all of my friends would like to go abroad," says Parisa. She sports the latest Tehran fashion - bleached blonde long hair sticking out of her see-through headscarf, and tight drainpipe jeans with the skimpiest of short overcoats that does little to hide her figure. "At the parties I go to I see girls wearing very open clothes - short skirts and low-cut evening tops," Parisa says. Boredom She adds that her greatest wish is to be able to go to a party and not have to worry if she is going to end up in jail as a result, or to have a meal in a restaurant and not have to bother about her headscarf slipping off. It is sheer boredom that seems to be the greatest problem. "There's nothing for us to do here," she explains. "The most we can do is go from one coffee shop to another... there are sports clubs but they're all indoors. They're hot and not nice and anyway they're expensive to join." But the generation that experienced the pre-reform era believes young Iranians simply do not know how lucky they are. "It was an awful and closed society," says Surreya, explaining that the first years of the revolution saw debate as to whether women could even work. Surreya is a gym instructor and says inspectors used to come and check what music they were playing. "If we used this kind of rock and pop they didn't like it - they suggested we use monotone music without lyrics. But nowadays I don't see them around... we are free to do whatever we want," she says. Reformists' dilemma Women in their 30s describe going to weddings shrouded from head to toe and without any make-up or nail polish for fear of being stopped at a checkpoint and scrutinised. "When you compare the young people now with us they have all this freedom and they're so ungrateful and don't appreciate what they've got," says 34-year-old Nassim. "For us life now is like heaven, but the young think it's hell and they constantly moan and groan about everything," she says, pointing out that in the early years of the revolution there was no music at all but now there are Iranian rock bands who give concerts. The dilemma for the reformists is whether giving concessions to young people allows them more room for expression and thus protects the Islamic system of government - or whether it just whets their appetites for more freedoms that may ultimately undermine the system. "The older generation is not able to communicate properly with the young," says journalist Minda Badiyi, who specialises in youth issues and teaches communications at university level. "Today's young people want freedoms in line with what the young have everywhere else in the world. Because they are denied that we are a society in crisis," she says. " Calm and patient " Mrs Badiyi says the recent student unrest was a manifestation of this sense of discontent that officials have failed to address. In particular she says two decades after the revolution the state has failed to convince young girls of the need to wear headscarves and modest dress. "The government says we are an Islamic state and everyone must cover up, but the resistance of young girls is a big problem for them," she says. She argues that women should choose Islamic dress voluntarily based on their belief and not as a dictate from above. "We must try to balance the capacity for change and the demands of the younger generation," says reformist MP Dr Elaheh Koolaee. "It's very, very difficult, I know, but we must try," she says explaining the need for "dialogue with the younger generation to convince them to be calm, to be patient".

The International Federation of Journalists today called on Iran to free 17 journalists currently in detention and demanded an investigation into police brutality, which has left one Canadian journalist seriously injured. There has been a series of brutal violations of journalists rights, which must be stopped, said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. Security officers in civilian clothes arrested 54-year-old Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi last month during widespread student protests. She allegedly took photos of a prison where many protestors were jailed. She sustained injuries in the custody of the Iranian police. We are very concerned about her condition, said White. These attacks, which amount to censorship of the press, must be dealt with by the authorities and those responsible brought to justice. In another attack, on 2 July, journalist Peyman Pakmehr, was attacked by armed men in civilian clothes just two hours after giving an interview to Radio FARDA, (Radio Free Europe), in conjunction with a large demonstration at Babam fortress, near Kaliber. Pakmehr previously worked for the daily Nasim Sabah and the weekly Ahrar Tabriz, both of which have now been closed down by the government. Another journalists, Ensafali Hedayat, of the now-closed daily Salam was arrested during a recent demonstration in Tabriz University, and was not given any food for 3 days while in police custody. He was accused of distributing propaganda against the Iranian government. Several other journalists have been beaten, arrested and imprisoned since the beginning of June. The IFJ is deeply concerned at the growing numbers of violations against journalists safety and press rights, said White. All of this is an unacceptable attempt to stifle media coverage of opposition protests. With seventeen journalists currently detained in Iran, the IFJ is supporting its affiliate, the Association of Iranian Journalists, and calls on the government to respect the human rights and safety of these journalists. The struggle for press freedom is intensifying and journalists around the world must show increased solidarity with their colleagues in Iran, said White. Further information: + 32 2 235 22 00 The IFJ represents more than 500,000 journalists in more than 100 countries

TEHRAN, June 11 (AFP) - Two student leaders in Iran, Said Razavi Faghih and Mehdi Habibi, have been arrested, a senior higher education ministry official said Friday, quoted by the student news agency ISNA.

The latest arrests raised to five the number of students detained in 48 hours.

The two belong to the main pro-reform student movement, Office to Consolidate Unity (OCU), which groups several Islamic associations at universities in Tehran and the provinces.

Ali Akbar Mohseni, head of the ministry's security services, said Faghih was detained late Thursday at the order of the Tehran prosecutor's office.

Faghih lead a November 2002 protest movement against a death sentence imposed on reformist academic Hashem Aghajani for blasphemy. After 10 days of protests, the sentence was scrapped but a new ruling has yet to be announced.

Habibi is president of the Islamic association of students at Tehran's Amir Kabir University and a known liberal.

Three student activists were already arrested Wednesday, just minutes after holding a press conference to blast the Islamic regime for banning events marking the anniversary of bloody student clashes with security forces in 1999.

The IFJ is deeply concerned at the growing numbers of violations against journalists safety and press rights, said White. All of this is an unacceptable attempt to stifle media coverage of opposition protests.

And who has been stifling the media coverage of THIS story? Could it be the MEDIA?

Iran: Student activists and demonstrators must be treated in accordance with international human rights standards

Published Amnesty International is concerned at yesterday's arrest of student leaders Reza Ameri Nassab, Ali Moghtadari and Arash Hashemi who may have been targeted solely for the peaceful expression of their political views. All three were arrested after they took part in an open press conference held at the offices of Daftar-e Tahkim-e Vahdat (Office for Strengthening Unity, or OCU) on the anniversary of the 18 Tir (9 July 1999) student demonstrations. During the press conference they criticized restrictions on freedom of expression and association in Iran. They were said to have been forced to the ground and thrown into three separate vehicles and taken to an unknown destination. Ali Moghtadari was reportedly released the same evening.

Such arrests are part of a pattern of human rights violations targeting student protests and demonstrations since the 18 Tir demonstrations.

Since 11 June 2003, up to 4000 demonstrators have been arrested of which approximately 2000 may remain in detention without charge or trial. At least 65 individuals are said to have been charged, although the charges have not been made public.

Many of these detainees appear to have been targeted for demonstrating peacefully. Amnesty International considers them prisoners of conscience and calls for their immediate and unconditional release. Amnesty International also calls for anyone charged with a recognisable criminal offence to be given prompt fair trial.

The authorities should take immediate measures to ensure that student activists and peaceful demonstrators are treated in accordance with international human rights standards.

Background Following the July 1999 students' demonstrations in Tehran, Ahmad Batebi, Abbas Deldar, Javid Tehrani, Mehrdad Lohrasebi, Akbar and Manuchehr Mohammadi and scores of other student demonstrators were arbitrarily arrested. Dozens of them faced torture and ill treatment in incommunicado detention. They, like student leader Ali Afshari, were imprisoned following manifestly unfair trials. In the past few days, Ahmad Batebi and Manuchehr Mohammadi have been removed from Evin prison and taken to an unknown location.

Nearly 80 students living in student dormitories in the Amir Abad area of Tehran demonstrated 11 June against draft proposals to privatize universities in Iran, fearing that tuition fees would rise as a result. They were joined by local residents and the demonstration reportedly escalated and became increasingly politicized. Organized groups of non-uniformed, plainly clothed individuals widely called in Iran the lebas shakhsi-ha (the plain-clothed) began to attack the demonstrators and police intervened to end the clashes. As the demonstrations grew over the following nights, units of the Special Forces (Nirou-ye Vijeh) were deployed to disperse demonstrators. However, there were reports that the Special Forces permitted some of the lebas shakhsi-ha to attack peaceful demonstrators and that in certain instances, excessive force was used to break up the demonstrations.

Amnesty International has repeatedly urged the authorities to address human rights violations committed against demonstrators but has not to date received any reply to date.

TEHRAN - Two student leaders in Iran, Said Razavi Faghih and Mehdi Habibi, have been arrested, a senior higher education ministry official said Friday, quoted by the student news agency ISNA.

The latest arrests raised to five the number of students detained in 48 hours.

The two belong to the main pro-reform student movement, Office to Consolidate Unity (OCU), which groups several Islamic associations at universities in Tehran and the provinces.

Ali Akbar Mohseni, head of the ministry's security services, said Faghih was detained late Thursday at the order of the Tehran prosecutor's office.

Faghih lead a November 2002 protest movement against a death sentence imposed on reformist academic Hashem Aghajani for blasphemy. After 10 days of protests, the sentence was scrapped but a new ruling has yet to be announced.

Habibi is president of the Islamic association of students at Tehran's Amir Kabir University and a known liberal.

Three student activists were already arrested Wednesday, just minutes after holding a press conference to blast the Islamic regime for banning events marking the anniversary of bloody student clashes with security forces in 1999.

Despite the ban, between 20,000 and 30,000 Tehranis defiantly took to the roads in their cars around the Tehran University area that same night to mark the anniversary.

"An English version of a notice from Amnesty International about lastest arrests."

I am surprised that Amnesty International made this statement. I figured for sure they would say they were too busy taking care of all the Human Rights violations in the USA to be bothered with Iranians Human Rights violations.

The following is the text of a letter from Loral Skynet to Atlanta Direct-to-Home, the service providing satellite broadcast services to several Los Angeles based Iranian broadcasters. After hiring TLS, Inc. to identify the source of the jamming, they learned that the most probable source of the interference was Havana Cuba. The matter is now in the hands of the FCC.

As reported in the news media, it appears that an unknown entity is blocking certain signals into Loral Skynet's Telstar 12 satellite, which signals carry Farsi language and Iranian programming. Skynet is taking all appropriate actions to resolve the interference, and regrets any inconvenience to Atlanta DTH ("ADTH") and its customers caused by the interference. This letter summaries our understanding of the source of the interference and our efforts to resolve it.

Interference into Transponder 10 on Telstar 12 was first reported to Skynet by one of ADTH's uplinkers on July 5, 2003 at approximately 5:35 p.m. EST, and ADTH spoke with Skynet operations personnel within minutes thereafter to discuss the problem. Skynet immediately instituted its standard procedures for detecting the cause of the interference, including investigating any cross-pole carrier or adjacent operator issues and any recent uplinking activity that may have adversely affected the carrier. Skynet determined that none of those factors contributed to the interference, and that the Telstar 12 satellite and Transponder 10 were, and had been, operating properly (and, in fact, continue to operate properly). As a result, Skynet concluded that the interference was caused by a third party.

Similarly, ADTH instituted several procedures to attempt to resolve the interference, including reducing its bandwidth and splitting capacity among three carriers. Despite these procedures, intermittent interference continued.

Accordingly, Skynet contacted a transmitter geo-location service, TLS, Inc., to attempt to locate the transmit source of the interference. TLS was able to provide an ellipse of the most probable location of the source of the interference, which it identified as being in the vicinity of Havana, Cuba. As the services being interfered with are licensed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the probable source of the interference is not within United States boundaries, on July 9 Skynet forwarded the information concerning the interference and TLS's investigation to FCC personnel. The FCC has contacted TLS for further technical discussions.

As Skynet continues its efforts to eliminate the interference into Telstar 12, I want to reassure you that Skynet understands ADTH's concerns and those of its customers regarding their broadcasting integrity, and Skynet remains full committed to resolving the issue as quickly as possible.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to discuss this matter further.

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